BluegrassReport.org

Quote Of The Day

U.S. Senator Bunning (R) restates the obvious:

"Brett Hall is a liar," Bunning said in a conference call with Kentucky political reporters.

Indeed, Hall is arguably pathological with his lies.

Aside from being an abysmal predictor of the political landscape, Hall -- Fletcher's former spokesman -- has no problem putting out complete falsehoods. He made-up poll numbers (that no one reported) to argue that Governor Fletcher (R) had tied Steve Beshear (D) with two weeks before Election Day (and then he lost by 18 as the real polls predicted), and he admitted he lied to the media earlier this year about how he obtained internal official records in an effort to smear Auditor Crit Luallen (D).

Besides, how bad do you have to be to be fired by Fletcher for inappropriate behavior? Seriously.

Let The GOP Circular Firing Squad Begin -- Sen. Bunning Says Northup Would Have Done Better In Today's Election

Governor Fletcher (R) hasn't even conceded yet and the widely-expected GOP fratricide is already underway. Here's what U.S. Senator Jim Bunning (R) told the Courier-Journal:

Bunning: Northup would have done better than Fletcher
James Carroll, The Courier-Journal

With Kentuckians giving their verdicts in the governor's race today, Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., still maintains that the Republicans would have done better with former Rep. Anne Northup at the top of the ticket.

Bunning endorsed Northup instead of Gov. Ernie Fletcher in the Kentucky GOP primary.

"I thought that Anne Northup would be a better candidate in the general election," Bunning told reporters today in a conference call, referring to the former Louisville congreswoman. "And that's the reason I was trying to salvage the Republican Party and our nominee for governor, because I thought Anne would make a much more difficult campaigner to defeat in the general election."

"Obviously, I was in the minority of the Republicans and Ernie prevailed during the primary," the senator said. "But I guarantee you that if Anne Northup had prevailed during the primary, we wouldn't be looking at polls we are looking at presently."

Spectacular.

(P.S. -- Bunning is 100% correct, for once.)

And The Next Kentucky Republican Party Chair Is....?

Rumors abound that former U.S. Rep. Anne Northup (R) is being lobbied to consider the position of Kentucky Republican Party chair effective November 10, 2007 which is when the RPK state central committee will again meet following what is widely expected to be one of their worst election cycles in a very long time.

While I believe such a move would be a very strong one for Republicans, allowing them to try to paint the past four years as an aberration and an awful mistake, and allowing the McConnell wing of the party to re-assume full control in anticipation of a competitive 2008 cycle, I'm told by one prominent insider that RPK is much more likely to elect Cathy Bailey, a McConnell loyalist and prominent fundraiser.

The thinking is that there are still too many raw feelings among Republicans following its brutal gubernatorial primary when Northup challenged the politically sickly Governor Fletcher (R), who was nonetheless, and unimaginably, renominated by Republicans in May (which will likely go down as one of the dumbest moves by Republicans in ages). The one issue with Bailey is that she currently serves as ambassador to Latvia and would not be able to start until early 2008.

Meanwhile, my Republican source says we should probably look for one more statewide run from Northup, most likely the 2010 Senate race when U.S. Senator Jim Bunning (R) vacates his seat, or so I'm told.

(Yes, I too thought Bunning said he was running for re-election.)

Bunning Critical Of McConnell's Handling Of Larry Craig Matter

Oddly, I haven't noticed any member of the Kentucky media picking this up, but CNN had a report this morning over the contentious Republican Senate Caucus meeting held yesterday over its leadership's (led by Senator McConnell) handling of the Larry Craig matter. Apparently, McConnell and his leadership team were criticized by several members, one of them was fellow Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning (R):

At least three senators complained their leaders "rushed to judgment" while others defended the leaders for quickly pulling their support from the disgraced senator, according to one Republican senator in the room and two GOP aides familiar with the meeting.

"We had to discuss it," the senator said.

Sen. Ted. Stevens of Alaska, whose home was recently raided as part of a federal corruption probe, stood up to say it's wrong to prejudge these matters.

He was joined by Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky and Sen. Michael Enzi of Wyoming, who also "wagged their finger" at the leadership, in the words of one of the aides.

Seems significant to me.

(Hat tip: Talking Points Memo)

Bunning: Casino View Hurts Fletcher (Crowley, Kentucky Enquirer)

Pat Crowley has an update to U.S. Senator Bunning's (R) criticism of Governor Fletcher's (R) tactics on expanded gaming in today's Kentucky Enquirer, and it's worth keeping a very close eye on this story.

Surprisingly, even Kenton County GOP Chairman Greg Shumate disagrees with Fletcher's assertions by stating that "more people than not supporting gaming."

Bunning: Casino View Hurts Fletcher
Senator thinks governor should be for vote
BY Patrick Crowley, Kentucky Enquirer

Kentucky U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning said Gov. Ernie Fletcher made a mistake opposing a statewide vote on casino gambling, one that could cost him political support in GOP-friendly Northern Kentucky.

Bunning, a Southgate Republican, said Thursday that he conveyed that message to a Fletcher aide May 22, the day after Fletcher won the Republican gubernatorial primary.

"I told one of his close associates that, in my opinion, it would be better to put it on the ballot because people in Northern Kentucky and a majority of Kentuckians would rather have it done that way," said Bunning, who has lived in Northern Kentucky most of his life.

"In other words, people want to vote on it," he said.

[...]

Democrats say Bunning's comments will hurt Fletcher in Northern Kentucky, where Fletcher carried more than 60 percent of the vote in 2003.

"Jim Bunning's comments drive a stake through Ernie Fletcher's heart in Northern Kentucky," said Edgewood lawyer Mark Guilfoyle, a Democrat advising the Beshear campaign. "Jim Bunning is a Northern Kentuckian, and he knows how the vast majority of Northern Kentuckians feel about the issue."

Added Nathan Smith of Fort Mitchell, a Kenton County Democratic Party activist: "This shows that Ernie Fletcher is out of step with Northern Kentucky."

...Kenton County GOP Chairman Greg Shumate acknowledged that in Northern Kentucky, "more people than not support gaming."

And recall that U.S. Senator McConnell (R) also distanced himself from Fletcher on this issue yesterday. Jack Brammer has a related story in today's Herald-Leader:

Senators' Messages On Casinos Don't Match Fletcher's
By Jack Brammer, Herald-Leader

LOUISVILLE --Gov. Ernie Fletcher laced his speech at the 44th annual Kentucky Farm Bureau Country Ham Breakfast yesterday with disdain for casino gambling, but the state's two U.S. Republican senators had a different message on the issue.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Louisville, who also was at the breakfast, declined to say whether he thinks Kentucky needs expanded gambling -- even though Fletcher has based his entire re-election campaign on opposing casinos. McConnell called it a state issue, not a federal issue.

...Bunning said he worries Fletcher's anti-casino gambling position could cut into the governor's support in Republican-heavy Northern Kentucky, where charitable gaming is popular and casino gambling is available just across the Ohio River.

"I advised him to allow it to be put on the ballot," Bunning said. "I guess my word didn't get through." Fletcher later said Bunning had not offered that advice to him personally.

...Mark Guilfoyle, an Edgewood lawyer and former state budget director for Democratic Gov. Brereton Jones, said Bunning's comments "drive a stake through Fletcher's heart in Northern Kentucky.

"Ernie Fletcher can't win without a huge margin in Northern Kentucky and Bunning is basically saying you're way out of step with folks up north," Guilfoyle said.

First Bunning, Now McConnell Refuses To Support Fletcher On Gaming

Seems that Governor Fletcher (R) is 0 for 2 with Kentucky's U.S. senators when it comes to his hypocritical position on gaming.

We all saw what Sen. Jim Bunning (R) had to say earlier today. Now comes Sen. McConnell (R) with his own distancing from Fletcher on the issue:

McConnell would not discuss whether he thinks Kentucky needs expanded gambling. He said that is a state, not a federal, issue.

Of course, electing a governor is also a state issue, not a federal issue, but that's not stopping McConnell from trying to save his boy Ernie from a career-ending, double-digit loss just 75 days from now...

Bunning Blasts Fletcher On Gaming, Fletcher Calls Him A Liar

Even U.S. Senator Bunning (R) is pointing out Governor Fletcher's (R) idiocy and accusing him of hurting the one part of the state where he has some semblance of support. The great thing is that Fletcher calls Bunning a liar at the bottom of the story. This is fun:

Bunning Advised Fletcher To Support Putting Casinos On Ballot

LOUISVILLE (AP) -- U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning says he urged Gov. Fletcher to support putting the expanded gambling issue on the ballot.

...In an interview before the annual country ham breakfast at the state fair, Bunning also said he worried that Fletcher's anti-casino gambling position could cut into the governor's support in Republican heavy northern Kentucky.

Bunning told The Associated Press (in these words) "I advised him to allow it to be put on the ballot ... I guess my word didn't get through."

Bunning said he gave the advice to a Fletcher staffer the day after the May primary.

[...]

Soon after the senator offered his opinion, Fletcher staked a starkly different position, saying he opposed letting Kentucky voters decide whether to amend the state constitution to allow casino gambling. Asked to respond to Bunning's comment, Fletcher said Bunning hadn't offered that advice to him personally.

Republicans Help Raise Senator McConnell's Job Approval To 50%

The latest Survey USA poll just released showed Senator McConnell (R) with a 50% job approval and 43% disapproval.

That's a slight increase from last month's numbers which showed him at 48% approve, 44% disapprove, and McConnell can thank Republicans for the bump as his level of approval among that group rose from 67% in July to 72% this month. There was no effective movement among Democrats or Independents.

Meanwhile, Senator Bunning (R) is well below 50%. Only 41% of Kentuckians approve of his job performance versus 48% who disapprove.

For all the talk that Kentucky loves its Republicans, here's where each currently stands in the eyes of Kentucky voters:

President Bush (R) -- 38% approval
Governor Fletcher (R) -- 40% approval
Senator Bunning (R) -- 41% approval
Senator McConnell (R) -- 50% approval

After seeing these numbers, I was found some old Chandler polling data from the 6th Congressional District during the 2004 congressional special election and it's remarkable how quickly things have changed -- at least as far as Central Kentucky voters go.

Back then, voters had very favorable impressions of Bush (69%, 46% "very favorable"), Fletcher (68%, 41% "very favorable") and McConnell (55%), while 60% thought the country was on the right track versus just 32% who believed it was on the wrong track. And that was among 6th CD voters...

Follow The Money

If you're interested in knowing how Kentucky's federal delegation gets its bread buttered, MAPLight.org has an update on the campaign finance breakdown for each of our state's members for the most recently completed cycle.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R)

[organizations]
RETIRED $250,047
ATTORNEY $122,100
PHYSICIAN $91,801
FARMER $74,860
KINDRED HEALTHCARE $62,700
SELF-EMPLOYED $42,850
BROWN-FORMAN CORP $41,250
HUMANA INC $38,877
GRIFFIN INDUSTRIES $38,800
PEABODY ENERGY $35,000

[interests]
Attorneys & law firms $390,848
Retired $242,047
Security brokers & investment companies $234,949
Pro-Israel $173,735
Commercial banks & bank holding companies $168,550
Lobbyists & public relations $147,295
Farmers, in general $121,160
Hospitals $121,100
Physicians $115,177
Coal mining $108,600

U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning (R)

[organizations]
RETIRED $184,175
ATTORNEY $62,770
PHYSICIAN $58,750
KINDRED HEALTHCARE $21,100
FIDELITY INVESTMENTS $20,000
BROWN-FORMAN CORP $17,050
ASHLAND INC $16,250
PAIN MANAGEMENT CENTER OF PADUCAH $15,000
FARMER $13,750
RJ REYNOLDS TOBACCO $13,500

[interests]
Attorneys & law firms $191,984
Retired $188,875
Insurance agencies, brokers & agents $164,199
Security brokers & investment companies $130,243
Other physician specialists $125,800
Commercial banks & bank holding companies $117,949
Lobbyists & public relations $94,516
Physicians $81,750
Pro-Israel $64,900
Life insurance $61,083

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY5)

[organizations]
ATTORNEY $18,000
ADDINGTON ENTERPRISES $17,800
RETIRED $17,450
BEECHFORK PROCESSING $16,000
CONSULTANT $13,850
FIRST NATIONAL BANK $12,000
NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSN $10,000
GEO GROUP $10,000
GENERAL ELECTRIC $10,000
LOCKHEED MARTIN $10,000

[interests]
Attorneys & law firms $40,700
Engineers - type unknown $28,900
Lobbyists & public relations $25,400
Business services $25,050
Commercial banks & bank holding companies $21,000
Defense areospace contractors $21,000
Civil servant/public employee $20,750
Mining $20,000
Vegetables, fruits & tree nuts $18,900
Retired $17,450

U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY4)

[organizations]
RETIRED $191,705
SELF-EMPLOYED $22,882
ATTORNEY $18,900
EMERALD COAL $16,500
INVESTOR $15,050
AMERICAN BANKERS ASSN $15,000
UNITED PARCEL SERVICE $14,100
CNG FINANCIAL $12,700
CINTAS CORP $11,600
DRS TECHNOLOGIES $11,200

[interests]
Retired $191,705
Commercial banks & bank holding companies $91,727
Attorneys & law firms $85,900
Insurance agencies, brokers & agents $70,550
Credit agencies & finance companies $53,550
Lobbyists & public relations $52,603
Security brokers & investment companies $49,432
Residential construction $41,800
Coal mining $39,050
Mortgage bankers & brokers $37,550

U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis (R-KY2)

[organizations]
SELF-EMPLOYED $52,607
RETIRED $38,010
PHYSICIAN $24,060
KINDRED HEALTHCARE $21,350
ATTORNEY $14,800
BROWN-FORMAN CORP $14,499
UNITED PARCEL SERVICE $10,250
AMERICAN PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSN $10,000
AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSN $10,000
PINKERTON TOBACCO $10,000

[interests]
General commerce $57,707
Tobacco & tobacco products $46,850
Physicians $41,060
Retired $38,010
Hospitals $36,600
Other physician specialists $33,450
Attorneys & law firms $31,150
Wine & distilled spirits manufacturing $28,077
Lobbyists & public relations $27,494
Accident & health insurance $21,500

U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY1)

[organizations]
RETIRED $33,350
PAIN MANAGEMENT CENTER OF PADUCAH $21,250
PHYSICIAN $21,200
AMERISOURCEBERGEN CORP $12,250
NATIONAL CABLE & TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSN $11,000
AT&T INC $10,000
UNION PACIFIC CORP $10,000
PFIZER INC $10,000
WINE & SPIRITS WHOLESALERS OF AMERICA $10,000
BELLSOUTH CORP $10,000

[interests]
Other physician specialists $76,785
Pharmaceutical manufacturing $38,752
Telephone utilities $35,000
Retired $33,350
Physicians $33,200
Attorneys & law firms $32,100
Railroads $25,600
Tobacco & tobacco products $23,500
Pharmaceutical wholesale $21,250
Liquor wholesalers $20,500

U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler (R-KY6)

[organizations]
RETIRED $37,600
ATTORNEY $19,300
BELLSOUTH CORP $10,500
INTL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS $10,000
NATIONAL ASSN OF REALTORS $10,000
NATIONAL AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ASSN $10,000
NATIONAL AUTO DEALERS ASSN $10,000
IRONWORKERS UNION $10,000
TEAMSTERS UNION $10,000
FARM CREDIT COUNCIL $10,000

[interests]
Attorneys & law firms $69,924
Construction unions $49,000
Retired $37,600
Manufacturing unions $30,000
Air transport unions $18,700
Farmers, in general $18,550
Express delivery services $15,499
Restaurants & drinking establishments $15,450
Liquor wholesalers $15,000
Banks & lending institutions $14,900

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY3)
No data yet

Senate Blocks Plan For Prescription Drugs

From the AP:

In a triumph for the pharmaceutical industry, the U.S. Senate killed an effort yesterday to allow consumers to buy prescription drugs from abroad at a significant savings over domestic prices.

On a 49-40 vote, the Senate required the administration to certify the safety and effectiveness of imported drugs before they can be imported, a requirement that officials have said they cannot meet.

"Well, once again the big drug companies have proved that they are the most powerful and best financed lobby in Washington," said Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican.

Joining the pharmaceutical industry in killing this legislation was Senator McConnell (R) and Senator Bunning (R).

Bunnings To Help Out Northup (Crowley, Kentucky Enquirer)

Pat Crowley has a story this morning on the television ad that Senator Bunning (R) and Mrs. Bunning have cut for Anne Northup (R):

Bunnings To Help Out Northup
BY Patrick Crowley, Kentucky Enquirer

Kentucky U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning and his wife, Mary, are appearing in a campaign ad for Republican gubernatorial candidate Anne Northup.

The ad began running Thursday night on Northern Kentucky cable television and is geared to build Northup's support in an area of the state where Gov. Ernie Fletcher is strongest among Republican voters.

[...]

"She is a solid conservative, her fundraising is strong, and I think she is the best person to lead Kentucky as our next governor," Bunning said in a statement. "Mary and I are proud to be a part of Anne's team."

Bunning, who lives in Southgate, endorsed Northup shortly after she entered the race in January.

"Northern Kentucky needs a governor who will fight for our values," Bunning says in the ad. "Anne is a conservative who will fight for our Republican values and repeal unfair tax increases on small businesses."

Mary Bunning says in the ad: "Anne is a loving mother of six kids who values education and the pro-life cause. Kentucky needs a fresh start."

You can see the ad at Northup's website.

More On Senate Bill 223

A quick follow-up to this morning's post on the secret hold placed by an anonymous Republican senator on campaign finance legislation (Senate Bill 223).

Turns out that Senator Feinstein (D-CA) and Senator Feingold (D-WI) took to the Senate floor today to try to bring this legislation for a vote. At the end of their remarks, it's none other than our own Senator Bunning (R) who registers yet another anonymous objection.

So sad:

The Sunlight Foundation has a post about Bunning's objection.

Cherry Picking?

Senator Bunning (R) offered this thought on the growing scandal over the actions of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales:

"They [Democrats] have made a vendetta against Alberto Gonzales because they don't like the way he runs the Justice Department," Bunning said of Democratic criticism. "So this is an opportunity for them to 'cherry pick' bad testimony."

Gonzales lied at a press conference where he said he had no involvement in the firings. His former Chief of Staff testified that his assertion was false. Gonzales' senior advisor and White House liaison who was involved in the firings invoked the 5th Amendment and then quits. Republicans are calling for his resignation.

And Bunning calls that Democratic cherry-picking? 

Fundraising

Last week, we learned that Senator McConnell (R) has raised nearly $6 million for his 2008 re-election.

So, I thought I'd take a look at our other federal officials.

Senator Bunning (R) raised $45,445 during the 1st quarter of 2007, leaving him with a cash balance of $113,607. So far, he's raised $256,527 toward his 2010 re-election.

Here's how the state's U.S. House members are doing:

Member	Q1 2007 Raised	Q1 2007 Spent	Cash-On-Hand
Davis (R-KY4)	$317,479	$144,531	$239,720
Yarmuth (D-KY3)	$303,892	$37,249	$292,695
Chandler (D-KY6)	$140,221	$21,686	$708,648
Lewis (R-KY2)	$110,040	$14,530	$153,072
Whitfield (R-KY1)	$56,950	$52,840	$692,987
Rogers (R-KY5)	$16,000	$46,923	$988,196

Both Davis and Yarmuth are aggressively raising funds for their 2008 re-election, though Davis' campaign finance reports shows he spent about $90,000 in various "Direct Mail Expenses."  I'm a little surprised by Lewis' paltry showing given that he should expect another serious challenge next year.

By the way for comparison, here's where things stood two years ago after the 1st quarter of 2005 filing:

Member	Q1 2005 Raised	Q1 2005 Spent	Cash-On-Hand
Northup (R-KY3)	$385,506	$37,375	$390,321
Davis (R-KY4)	$274,067	$102,895	$283,809
Chandler(D-KY6)	$123,888	$55,160	$240,021
Whitfield (R-KY1)	$96,396	$40,696	$751,123
Lewis (R-KY2)	$16,468	$29,109	$314,770
Rogers (R-KY5)	$11,000	$55,490	$896,489

Bunning: State Pension Proposal Adds Too Much Debt (Biesk, AP)

What does it mean when U.S. Senator Jim Bunning (R) appears to be the sane and sensible one when it comes to legislation? But he's absolutely correct on this, in my opinion:

Bunning: State Pension Proposal Adds Too Much Debt
By JOE BIESK, Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- A plan endorsed by Gov. Ernie Fletcher and the state Senate to overhaul Kentucky's pension system would overburden the state's financial future, U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning said Tuesday.

Bunning, Kentucky's junior senator and a Republican, criticized a plan pending in the General Assembly that calls for the state to sell about $800 million in pension bonds to give its financially troubled public retirement systems a cash infusion.

"That won't work," Bunning said of the plan. "There's no way to pay the bonds off out of future income of the state."

Governor Fletcher's (R) Real Problem

In light of Governor Fletcher's (R) first campaign commercial, where he portrays himself as not fighting the bullies but only focused on his job, I went back and looked at the 25 monthly Survey USA polls that have been conducted since May 2005 to see what lessons can be learned from all that data and one item really stands out: his consistently low support among Republican voters.

Take note that the first of the monthly Survey USA polls was completed about two weeks BEFORE the merit investigation became public.

In that survey, Fletcher was already scoring an anemic 36% job approval rating among all voters and just 52% among Republican voters. Meanwhile, that same May 2005 survey showed that Republicans gave President Bush an 81% job approval, Senator McConnell (R) received 71%, and Senator Bunning (R) 56%.

Hence, even before the scandal broke, Fletcher was not only unpopular with the general public, but he was greatly underperforming compared to other top Republicans among Kentucky's GOP.

So I took a close look at how Fletcher did with Republican voters in each of the subsequent monthly surveys compared to the average for Bush/McConnell/Bunning for each month:

As you can see, Fletcher has underperformed his Republican counterparts among Republican voters, considerably, in those surveys. In fact, in no survey does Fletcher ever do better than either Bush, McConnell or Bunning. Fletcher's average Republican job approval since May 2005 is 48% -- versus 72% for Bush, 67% for McConnell, and 57% for Bunning (the overall average among the three was 65%, 17 points higher than Fletcher).

The conclusion I draw is that Republicans viewed Fletcher as lackluster before the Merit scandal broke and he's never been able to shake that label. The fact that his opening ad to those same Republicans is about the investigation misses the point, in my opinion. These numbers indicate that Republicans have never been particularly impressed with Fletcher and that's his biggest problem heading into the May 22 primary.

It seems especially unlikely that a majority of Republicans are going to support him in May and Fletcher's only hope right now is that Billy Harper (R) will garner enough support to play spoiler for former U.S. Rep. Anne Northup (R).

So while some Republicans publicly complain that Northup has not yet articulated a laundry list of issues and policies, she has never failed to score highly among her own party, unlike Fletcher.

That's why I think it's over for Fletcher. Even if he can convince Republicans that he was the real victim, and that he could still win in the fall -- neither of which he's likely to accomplish -- he's never been popular among his own party (he's cracked 54% among GOPers only once -- and even that appeared to be an outlier) and I can't for the life of me see how he's going to catch fire in the next two months.

Kentucky-Tennessee Rift In Senate?

Interesting rift developing between the Republican senators from Kentucky and Tennessee over energy-related legislation.

From today's Tennessean (Nashville):

Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander issued a harsh statement today, criticizing Kentucky's two GOP senators for introducing legislation Alexander said would "effectively destroy" the Tennessee Valley Authority and raise electric rates for its customers.

The legislation's authors, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Jim Bunning, said the bill they announced Tuesday would help some Kentuckians by allowing them to buy their power at lower rates from sources other than the TVA.

"Currently, Kentuckians are being held captive by the TVA," McConnell said in a written statement. TVA would be placed under the authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, like any other utility, under the proposal. It also calls for a federal study on whether to privatize TVA.

Alexander said in a written statement that the proposal would "make it more difficult to attract good jobs to Tennessee, and actually deprive Kentuckians of a future option for reliable, low-cost power."

2007 Congressional Power Rankings

Congress.org just released its 2007 Congressional Power Rankings and Rep. Ben Chandler's (D) move to a majority member of the Appropriations Committee has landed him at the top spot among Kentucky's six House members, even leaping ahead of Rep. Hal Rogers (R):

UPDATE: Just found the previous years' rankings in their respect chambers:

2007 ranking (2006 ranking) (2005 ranking)

McConnell 5 (4)(7)
Bunning 64 (69) (63)

Chandler -- 143 (381) (413)
Rogers -- 194 (14) (20)
Whitfield -- 281 (252) (190)
Yarmuth -- 316 (no previous ranking)
Lewis -- 332 (202) (235)
Davis -- 397 (100) (168)

2006 Congressional Vote Ratings

National Journal just released the 2006 liberal-conservative vote ratings of each member of the U.S. House and Senate.

In Kentucky (2005 rating in italics):

Sen. McConnell (R): 84.3% conservative/15.7% liberal (84.8-15.2)
Sen. Bunning (R): 91.8% conservative/8.2% liberal (89.2-10.8)

Rep. Lewis (R): 87.3% conservative/12.7% liberal (91.2-8.8)
Rep. Whitfield (R): 80.2% conservative/19.8% liberal (73.0-27.0)
Rep. Rogers (R): 79.2% conservative/20.8% liberal (81.8-18.2)
Rep. Davis (R): 76.7% conservative/23/3% liberal (80.7-19.3)
Rep. Northup (R): 72.2% conservative/27.8% liberal (74.7-25.3)
Rep. Chandler (D): 40.7% conservative/59.3% liberal (42.3-57.7)

Noteworthy is that Bunning re-defines wing-nut ranking as the second most conservative Senator, trailing only Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) who scored a 92.5%. In contrast, Orrin Natch (R-UT) scored a 73%, and both Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Rick Santorum (R-PA) a 70.3%. McConnell was the 12th most conservative of his chamber.

On the House side, Chandler was more conservative than 178 members of his caucus and more liberal than just 23 of them. Notably, Chandler was more conservative than Jack Murtha (D-PA)(40%), Harold Ford, Jr. (D-TN)(33.7%), and now Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (D-OH)(30.2%).

Finally, Whitfield turned hard wing-nut in 2006, going from 73% conservative in 2005 to 80%.

Bunning Predicts More High-Ranking GOP Endorsements For Northup (Barrouquere, AP)

Is Senator Bunning (R) telegraphing that U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis (R) is next up to endorse Northup-Hoover? That's my guess.

Bunning Predicts More High-Ranking GOP Endorsements For Northup
Brett Barrouquere, Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning predicted that Kentucky's second in command won't be the only high-ranking Republican to throw support to an opponent of Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

...Bunning wouldn't say who might endorse Northup, only that "some very high profile Republicans" are likely to endorse the former congresswoman from Louisville in her bid to unseat Fletcher.

"It is an indication of the dissatisfaction with the Fletcher administration," Bunning said. "It's disappointment more than dissatisfaction."

[...]

Bunning, who has already endorsed Northup, said the hiring scandal has tarnished Fletcher because it contradicts the message he ran on in 2003. Fletcher ran on a platform that he would "clean up the mess in Frankfort," but ended up with "as big a mess" as his predecessor.

"When you settle the case and say the Attorney General had every right to do what he did, that seems to me to be the wrong approach to take if you're the governor of the commonwealth."

Noteworthy is how Bunning and Lt. Governor Pence (R) are mimicking each other with their criticism of Fletcher. This appears to be a well-coordinated assault.

Also, notice the subtle, but unmistakable, shift in the GOP criticism of Fletcher from (and I'm paraphrasing) "he can't win" to "he failed to deliver on his campaign promises to clean-up the mess." They've moved from arguing he can't defeat the Democratic nominee to a much more problematic argument (for Fletcher) that he's not deserving of another term based on performance.

The danger here for Republicans is that they've now effectively guaranteed Fletcher's defeat in the fall, should he survive the primary. Bunning and Pence are now making the precise case against Fletcher that Democrats will make in the general election. Exactly the same. The Democratic nominee wouldn't ever have to go negative himself, instead he could run ads of what Pence and Bunning are now arguing. I'm sure they (GOP) are praying Fletcher loses because there's no way off this ledge for them in the fall if Fletcher survives. They've now made the record and signed the death warrant.

It's over for Fletcher. He's truly an idiot for prolonging the inevitable.

UPDATE (12:49 PM): Here's another example of Pence making the future Democratic nominee's case against Fletcher (from the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer):

After the speech, Pence said he disagreed with Fletcher's decision to issue blanket pardons to anyone who had been indicted, or would be indicted, in the personnel investigation.

At the time, a grand jury was investigating the hiring practices of the Fletcher administration. Although Fletcher was indicted, the indictment was dismissed. The grand jury report, however, said Fletcher had been involved in a plan to skew the state's hiring practices.

"We would have used this as an example of what the 'good old boy' system was about," Pence said.

Sorry to be repetitive, but it's over for Fletcher.

Survey USA Continues To Throw Cold Water On Bluegrass Poll -- Shows McConnell Approval Plunges To Worst Level In 22 Monthly Polls, Bunning Spikes Up

Again throwing cold water on the wet kiss that the Bluegrass Poll gave Governor Fletcher (R) and Senator McConnell (R) in its recent survey, Survey USA has released its latest monthly poll on the job performance for McConnell and Senator Bunning (R).

Survey USA has McConnell at 49 approve and 42 percent disapprove, the worst showing for the senior senator in the 22 monthly polls that Survey USA has completed since mid 2005. His previous low was in March 2006 when he was 49 percent approve, 40 percent disapprove. Last month, McConnell registered 52 percent and 38 percent. (Recall that the Bluegrass Poll, taken earlier this month, showed McConnell's job approval at 54 percent versus a not credible disapproval of 23 percent.)

Most notably, McConnell's 28 percent disapproval among Republicans is the highest ever registered in these polls.

In contrast, Senator Bunning (R) saw a surprising spike in his job performance. The latest poll has him at 45 percent approve and 43 percent disapprove. Last month, Bunning stood at 40 percent versus 48 percent. His latest numbers are his highest since July 2006.

Fascinatingly, Bunning's numbers spiked among Republicans, soaring from 49%-40% last month to 63%-26% this month. Note that Bunning endorsed former U.S. Rep. Anne Northup (R) in the Republican gubernatorial primary since the last survey. In quite a shift, Bunning's job approval is now just a few points behind those of McConnell's, the closest ever among the 22 monthly polls.

Republican Gubernatorial Support

Here's the current scorecard of where the top Kentucky Republican leaders stand as far as their support in the gubernatorial primary between Governor Fletcher (R) and former U.S. Rep. Anne Northup (R):

• Lt. Governor Pence (R):  Endorsed Northup.
• U.S. Senator Bunning (R): Endorsed Northup.
• U.S. Senator McConnell (R): Officially neural, but privately his allies are backing Northup. I'll list him as Lean Northup.
• U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (R): So far neutral, but given long relationship with Hoover, would seem to lean towards Northup. Lean Northup given their relationship.
• U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis (R): Being actively courted by Northup. While not showing his cards, I would peg Davis as Lean Northup with likelihood of eventual formal endorsement. 
• U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield (R): No word, but I'd list him as Neutral to Lean Northup.
• U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis (R): There was chatter that Lewis was going to endorse Fletcher. He's the only federal member that might be foolish enough but nothing confirmed as yet, but I'll list him Lean Fletcher because of the chatter.
• Senate President David Williams (R): I'd put him in the McConnell camp. He probably won't publicly support Northup (certainly not before the end of the General Assembly since most of his caucus supports Fletcher), but he's considered a behind-the-scenes supporter. Lean Northup.
• House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover (R): Northup's running mate.

Not good news for Fletcher. Here's what he had to offer yesterday:

Fletcher said he still has the backing of a large number of supporters, including 24 county judge-executives, most Republicans in the state Senate and a number of Republican mayors.

Considering that Fletcher was the first Republican governor in 32 years, that's about as weak a group of endorsements for a sitting incumbent governor as one could imagine. It's laughable considering what Northup has already obtained in the month she's been in the race.

Is GOP Ready To Knife Governor Fletcher (R) Once Again?

If there's one thing about Kentucky politics that has been predictable during the past year, it's been the perfectly executed knifing that Governor Fletcher (R) has received courtesy of his own party at the most inopportune times.

From the state executive committee's refusal to call for the resignation of its chairman, to its decision to seat a loyalist of Lt. Governor Pence (R) over Fletcher's choice of Larry Forgy, to Secretary of State Trey Grayson's (R) flirtation of a gubernatorial bid at Fancy Farm, it's always a perfectly timed and well-planned ambush.

I suspect we'll see more of the same tomorrow night in Louisville when 1,500 Kentucky Republicans gather for its Lincoln Day dinner.

From the Herald-Leader:

The three GOP candidates for governor will make their first major pitches to a record crowd of Kentucky Republicans at Saturday night's Lincoln Day dinner -- an event that could set the tone for each contender starting on the campaign trail to the May 22 primary election.

More than 1,500 Republicans, the most ever according to the Kentucky Republican Party, will attend the function at the Louisville International Convention Center. Many attendees are expected to prominently display their allegiance to one candidate or another with buttons and stickers.

"It will be tense" but no blood will be shed, said Larry Forgy, who faced Larry Hopkins at the 1991 Lincoln Day dinner during that year's GOP primary for governor.

[...]

Mitt Romney, the presidential candidate and former Massachusetts governor, will serve as keynote speaker.

Other prominent Kentucky GOP officials who will address the crowd, in addition to the gubernatorial candidates, include U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning, U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers of Somerset, state Senate President David Williams and Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan of Inez.

Anyone want to predict what will happen? Will Pence endorse Northup? Will Senator McConnell (R) offer more on the race? What will Senator Bunning (R) do? How about Senate President David Williams (R)?

I can't wait.

If there's anything breaking at the event, please feel free to e-mail me from your cell phone (mark -at- bluegrassreport.org) and I'd be happy to post it while the event is ongoing.

McConnell, Bunning Support Minimum Wage Vote

Just how upset are the wingnuts going to get with our senators, Mitch McConnell (R) and Jim Bunning (R)?

Fresh off their comments giving Iraqis a timetable of six to nine months to ensure that our escalation is a success, they both decided to support cloture on the Senate's minimum wage bill, effectively guaranteeing Senate passage of legislation raising the federal minimum wage to $7.25 per hour.

Of course, this was just a few days after they voted to repeal the federal minimum wage in its entirety.

(Hat tip: BobGeiger.com)

McConnell, Bunning Join 26 Other Senators In Vote To Eliminate Federal Minimum Wage, Where Are Local Stories?

Late on Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO) offered an amendment to eliminate a federal role in setting the minimum wage, instead leaving it up to the states (in Kansas, the minimum wage is $2.65 and TN, LA, AL, MS and SC have no st